Last night Anne and I went to see GIVE in Amsterdam. A little later than expected, Dutch hardcore band Fever opened up. I was looking forward to finally see them live, as their name has been popping up on show posters regularly lately, but unfortunately they played a rather sloppy 15-minute set. The potential is definitely there and I dig the edgy, emotional vocals by singer Boy so I’ll definitely try to attend any upcoming rematch.
Where to start when writing about a band like GIVE? Guitarist Ben Schultz reached out to me about two weeks ago to inform me about the release of their new album Electric Flower Circus. Admittedly, I hadn’t given their previous work much attention so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised by their edgy rock ‘n roll-like sound; GIVE is definitely not your average hardcore band and it’s discussable if they can be called a hardcore band at all. They breath a 90’s vibe that’s heavily influenced by an era of grunge and alternative rock, and that shows on stage. On Wednesday, GIVE kicked of their European tour in Cologne, Germany and last night they played at Winston Kingdom in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. It’s like the band members stepped straight out of the 90’s with vintage Nike Air Max 95 sneakers, long hair blocking their faces, and the indispensable dance moves that no modern day hardcore kids would come up with (except for Brendan and Freaky Franz of Turnstile). I absolutely loved every minute of GIVE’s set; a feeling of nostalgia caught up with me seeing a band that refers to so many bands I used to listen to. It was refreshing to watch a band that completely does their own thing in a scene that brings forth so many generic, average sounding bands. I recommend you go see GIVE at a show near you as they’ll be touring Europe till the end of the month. See the full list of dates here.
Pictures by Anne Carolien Köhler – Facebook
Legends Arising 